


Lemon and Lilac

by Doodledust (PackGuardian)



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28922541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PackGuardian/pseuds/Doodledust
Summary: Sat at the edge of a party he doesn't care about, his lordship finds himself of interest to a pair of young girls.
Kudos: 9





	Lemon and Lilac

There were two young girls - hardly teenagers, eleven and thirteen at most - watching him from across the room and whispering. They were the marquess's youngest daughters he was fairly certain, and he could only imagine that their commentary was uncomplimentary. The smaller girl dressed in lemon yellow gauze, was giggling at whatever the other, dressed in lilac and half hiding behind an oversized fan, was saying.  
He had seen their older sisters, one in salmon, one in spring green, and yet another in ivory, some time earlier, and their brother - an appropriately stately young man with a solemn face and a ceremonial sword at his hip - had greeted him with their father upon his arrival. The three older girls, fifteen, seventeen, and nineteen, had each been polite - though the youngest of them had seemed a little afraid of him - they had shook his hand, they had curtseyed, they had offered rehearsed compliments to the city.  
Their brother had been much the same, other than substituting a bow for a curtsey. If not for his trembling lip and inability to keep a steady gaze, he would hardly have realised the lad was sixteen.  
The marchioness was a busy woman, flitting around like a bee in a summer garden speaking to every guest and dressed similarly in saffron. He had so far been fortunate she had not made it to the outer rim of the ballroom where he was sitting.

He kept a vague interest in her daughters and their interest in him, it was far more engaging than any of the conversations he had been forced to enter into with the various nobles who wanted his favour throughout the evening. In the middle of the room, there was a sudden commotion - one of the noblewomen had knocked into a servant and spilled her drink. Now she was shouting at the innocent man. He rolled his eyes and made a note to find out who she was so that he might consider politely declining attempts at currying favour that came from her direction. At least her companion, a timid man who seemed to be around two feet shorter than her - though that was her wig - seemed to be trying to dissuade her. As if summoned, the marchioness buzzed in to abate the situation and Vetinari lost interest.

He glanced up in time to catch the younger girl staring at him, and smiled. She flinched as his gaze met hers and hid in her sister - who swatted her with the fan and the two of them started arguing. He allowed himself to laugh.

Children would always be children he supposed, regardless of any nobility. That was a comfort at least.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again :) I have a few longer things in bits, but I felt this little bit was Enough to be on its own. As always, comments are appreciated! <3


End file.
